ES2555289T3 - Procedure and devices for remineralization and / or pH correction of a water produced in an aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

Procedure for remineralization and pH correction for a water produced by a fuel cell (P) embarked on an aircraft, characterized by the fact that it consists in deriving a part of the water produced by the battery to at least one treatment tank ( 200) which contains a saturation reagent and in mixing the treated water flow leaving the treatment tank (200) with the non-derivative water flow in order to obtain a water with the desired mineralization and / or pH.

Description

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Procedure and devices for remineralization and / or pH correction of a water produced in an aircraft Field of application of the invention

[0001] The present invention is related to the field of equipment embarked on an aircraft that carries passengers and particularly with adaptations that allow, in the best conditions, remineralize and correct the pH of the water produced in an aircraft.

Description of the prior art state

[0002] In order to reduce kerosene consumption, noise intensity and carbon dioxide production, aeronautical constructors are geared towards the execution of an electric motorization for the start-up of aircraft on the ground.

[0003] A technological solution for such execution lies in the exploitation of a fuel cell to power the electric motor (s).

[0004] In parallel to the production of electricity, the chemical reaction carried out by a fuel cell produces water and heat.

[0005] Within the problem of the decrease in the volume of water that must be embarked on an aircraft carrying passengers, the water produced by the fuel cell can be considered as drinking water for consumption and feeding of sanitary facilities.

[0006] Such exploitation, however, faces several technical problems described below.

[0007] The water produced by a fuel cell is demineralized and acidified and therefore requires a remineralization operation and correction of its pH before being injected into the aircraft's power supply network.

[0008] In addition to the aspect of protecting the health of passengers, this operation is also necessary due to the fragility of the usually stainless steel conduits of said supply network.

[0009] However, if there are remineralization and pH correction solutions, the latter require a time and / or an exposure surface between the remineralization and / or pH correction product and the water that does not add up to time of exposure, the load and / or the mass available in an aircraft.

[0010] These different technical problems have so far failed to seriously consider the exploitation of the production of water from a fuel cell as drinking water and for feeding the sanitary facilities of an aircraft that carries passengers despite the identified advantages.

[0011] US2004 / 043276 describes a device that includes fuel cells, a tank for water purification and a tank for mineralization.

JP2006228619 discloses the correction of the pH by mixing water contained in a tank and purified water at the outlet of a fuel cell.

Description of the invention

[0012] Based on this statement of facts, the applicant has carried out investigations that aim to avoid the aforementioned inconveniences.

[0013] These investigations have led to the conception of a remineralization and pH correction procedure for a water produced by a fuel cell embarked on an aircraft, notable for the fact that it consists in deriving a part of the water produced by the stack towards at least one treatment tank containing a saturation reagent and in mixing the treated water flow leaving the treatment tank with the non-derivative water flow in order to obtain a water with the desired mineralization and / or pH.

[0014] This feature is particularly advantageous because of the fact that it avoids having to deal by direct contact with the reagent, all the water leaving the fuel cell.

[0015] The use of a reagent that reaches a saturation level makes it possible to control the treatment parameters of the water leaving the treatment tank.

[0016] The treatment tank may contain a single treatment reagent and be associated with other tanks or

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contain several reagents intended for various treatments.

[0017] Then it is no longer necessary to have an exposure time with a reagent or to dose a reagent as a function of a volume, since the process of the invention can guarantee the passage of a certain volume of water within a treatment tank whose level of treatment is controlled by ensuring, after mixing, the desired mineralization and / or pH levels.

In addition, remineralization and / or pH correction are activated from the circulation of water in the treatment tank without requiring considerable exposure time.

[0018] It is understood that the execution of such a procedure will lead to particularly quality solutions in accordance with the objectives of the invention.

The process of the invention therefore allows consideration of the exploitation of the water exiting a fuel cell embarked on an aircraft for the purpose of consumption for passengers and feeding the sanitary facilities of said aircraft.

[0019] Thus, another object of the invention resides in the device that allows to implement the procedure described above.

According to the invention, the device comprises a first delivery tank to which the demineralized water arrives from the battery and where at least two ducts leave:

- a first conduit flows into a second treatment tank comprising a saturation reagent with which the water comes into contact for remineralization and / or pH correction purposes, where the treated water is evacuated to a third conduit,

- a second conduit allows a water to flow directly out of the first tank and is combined with the treated water leaving the second tank in order to mix.

[0020] The use of a dispensing tank guarantees the derivation of water from the battery.

[0021] In order to duplicate the capabilities of such a device, the latter comprises, according to another particularly advantageous feature of the invention, a first delivery tank to which demineralized water comes out of the stack and from which three ducts leave:

- two ducts each flow into a different treatment tank comprising a saturation reagent with which the water comes into contact, where the water thus treated is evacuated through a fourth and a fifth duct,

- A third conduit that leaves the dispensing tank lets water circulate directly out of the first tank and joins the treated water out of the two treatment tanks inside a mixing tank in order to mix.

[0022] Such unfolding of the treatment capacities allows considering a specialization of the latter.

Thus, according to another particularly advantageous feature of the invention, a first treatment tank comprises a saturation reagent that ensures remineralization and the second treatment tank comprises a saturation reagent that ensures pH correction.

[0023] A simplified version of the device comprises a division of the demineralized water outlet duct leaving the fuel cell into two ducts, one of which comes into a treatment tank, the treated water line leaving said tank is joins the untreated water pipe in order to mix.

In order to ensure the treatment of all the parameters, such a device can be cascaded upwards or downwards of an identical treatment device of another parameter.

[0024] The execution of the procedure, whatever the device, is facilitated by the fact that one or more ducts are equipped with a flow regulation module.

Thus, according to the type of treatment or the volumes displaced, the flow rates are adjusted.

[0025] In order, for example, to filter the water leaving the battery as well as the water leaving the treatment, one or more ducts are equipped with a filtration module.

These filtration modules may be arranged at the end of the ducts within said tanks.

[0026] Of course, the choice of reagent is essential.

To implement this procedure, the reagent is very fast in reaching its saturation to ensure the regularity of the treatment parameters of the water leaving the treatment tanks from the beginning of operation.

In addition, it is designed in such a way that it cannot act anything more than when the water moves and not when it is stagnant, thus avoiding any overconcentration.

[0027] According to a non-limiting embodiment, the saturation reagent for remineralization and / or for the

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Ph correction contains the following elements associated or not:

- calcium carbonate,

- calcium hydroxide,

- bicarbonates,

- carbonates,

- sulfuric acid,

- ion exchange resin,

- mineral absorbers,

- sodium chloride,

- calcium chloride.

[0028] According to another particularly advantageous feature, the device comprises means for measuring mineralization and pH at the output of the device that communicate the data to an automatic control machine of flow regulation module (s), which is going to allow to propose remineralization and the most accurate pH correction possible and automatically.

[0029] According to another particularly advantageous feature of the invention, the device comprises at least one flow meter that allows measuring the water flow rate before or after mixing and at least one dosing pump positioned at the exit of the treatment tank with the In order to dose the amount of treated water to be mixed with the untreated water.

[0030] According to a preferred embodiment, the device comprises a means for measuring the flow rate (or flowmeter) of the non-derivative water associated with a dosing means of the metering pump type arranged at the outlet of the treatment tank for the purpose of re-injecting the volume of treated water appropriate to the untreated water.

[0031] The device also comprises a water disinfection module after the final mixture.

[0032] According to another particularly advantageous feature of the invention, the treatment tanks are separable and interchangeable.

Whether they are a specialized configuration or not, the conception of treatment tanks as consumables with a limited life span guarantees the mastery of the procedure and the effects of the latter.

[0033] The fundamental concepts of the invention that have just been described above in their most elementary form, other details and features will be clearer with the reading of the description that follows and when observing the attached drawings, which are offered by way of example not limiting several modes of realization of a device according to the invention.

Brief description of the drawings

[0034]

Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of a sectional view of a first embodiment of a device according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic drawing of a sectional view of a second embodiment of a device according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a schematic drawing of a sectional view of a third embodiment of a device according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a schematic drawing of a sectional view of a fourth embodiment of a device according to the invention.

Description of the preferred embodiments

[0035] As illustrated in the drawing of Figure 1, the aforementioned device D as a whole is an on-board device that ensures remineralization and pH correction for a water called E1 by means of a fuel cell (not shown) on board in an aircraft (not illustrated).

This device D comprises a succession of three cylindrical tanks 100, 200, 300 of different volumes, arranged coaxially and contiguously one after the other so that they form a compact assembly having the same outer diameter.

[0036] A first delivery tank 100 receives the demineralized water E1 from the battery called P and where two ducts 110 and 120 leave:

- a first conduit 110 flows into a second treatment tank 200 comprising a rapid saturation reagent R with which the water comes into contact for remineralization and / or pH correction purposes, the water being treated and called E2 evacuated. towards a third conduit 210

- a second conduit 120 lets water E3 circulate directly from the first tank 100 and joins the

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treated water E2 exit from the second tank for mixing purposes by intersection of conduits 120 and 210.

[0037] The third tank welcomes and optimizes the E4 water mixture.

A mineralized water with a corrected pH E5 leaves the tank 300.

[0038] As illustrated, several filtration modules 400 are arranged along the path of treated or untreated water.

According to an embodiment not illustrated, filtration means equip the dispensing tank so that the water received is filtered before distribution in the conduits 110 and 120.

[0039] Similarly, a flow regulation module 500 equips the conduit 120.

The difference in height between the outlets that give access to the conduits 110 and 120 guarantees the circulation of water in the bypass circuit despite the loss of load due to the presence of the reagent R in the tank 200.

[0040] According to another embodiment not illustrated, the first tank 100 also comprises a reagent volume in order to ensure a first treatment stage.

[0041] The same is true for the last deposit that may be equipped with a filtration module and / or with a reagent volume that ends the treatment.

[0042] The device D 'illustrated by the drawing of Figure 2 applies the same procedure but by means of two treatment tanks 200a' and 200b '.

[0043] As for the device D, the device D 'comprises a first dispenser tank 100' to which the demineralized water E1 reaches the outlet of the cell called P and from which three ducts leave.

[0044] Two ducts 110 'and 120' each flow into a different treatment tank 200a 'and 200b' comprising a rapid saturation reagent R1 and R2 that may be different from one tank to the other with which water enters contact, the treated water being evacuated through pipes 210a 'and fifth 210b'.

[0045] The third conduit 130 'lets water circulate directly out of the first tank 100' and is connected to the treated water leaving the two treatment tanks inside a mixing tank 300 'for mixing purposes.

[0046] As illustrated, several filtration modules 400 'equip the device D' particularly at the level of the inputs and outputs of the treatment tanks.

[0047] In addition, the ducts 110 ', 120', 130 'are equipped with a 500' filtration module.

[0048] The device D3 illustrated by the drawing of Figure 3 takes up the characteristics of the device D of Figure 1 to which several functionalities have been added.

Thus, as illustrated, a flow meter 600 equips the conduit 120 here downstream of the intersection with the outlet conduit 210 of the treatment tank.

This duct 210 is equipped beyond its intersection with the duct 120 with a metering pump 700 whose dosage is operated according to the measured flow.

[0049] In addition, this device D3 also comprises, in the downstream direction of the outlet of the reservoir 300, a water disinfection module 800 as well as a new filtration module 900.

According to a preferred embodiment, the disinfection module 800 comprises an ultraviolet ray production medium as well as an ozone production medium.

In addition, according to another characteristic, the filtration of the final filtration medium 900 is carried out by activated carbon.

[0050] According to another feature not illustrated, the tank 300 comprises several mixing tanks that communicate with each other in order to better manage the available space.

[0051] The device D4 illustrated by the drawing of Figure 4 presents a simplified configuration where the water outlet duct E1 from the outlet P is immediately divided into two ducts 114 and 124 one of which flows into a treatment tank 200.

The treated water conduit 210 E2 leaving said reservoir 200 joins the untreated water conduit 124 E3 in order to be mixed according to the invention to mix and form a water with the PH and / or the desired mineralization E4.

As illustrated for the device D3, the untreated water line 124 E3 is equipped with a flow meter 600 that controls the dosing of the metering pump 700 with which the outlet line 210 of the treated water E2 has.

Such a simplified configuration can be declined according to the number of parameters to be treated; for example, the water treated to be remineralized in the illustrated installation can lead to the entrance of an installation

identica whose treatment deposit ensures the correction of the PH and so on.

[0052] It is understood that the procedure and the devices, which have just been described and represented previously, have been in view of a disclosure rather than a limitation.

5 Of course, various conditioning, modifications and improvements may be added to the example described above, without leaving the field of the invention.

Claims (12)

5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 40 Four. Five fifty 55 60 65 1. Procedure for remineralization and pH correction for a water produced by a fuel cell (P) embarked on an aircraft, characterized by the fact that it consists in deriving a part of the water produced by the battery to at least one tank of treatment (200) containing a saturation reagent and mixing the treated water flow out of the treatment tank (200) with the non-derivative water flow in order to obtain a water with the desired mineralization and / or pH. 2. Device (D, D3) that allows the procedure according to claim 1 to be implemented, characterized in that it comprises a first dispensing tank (100) to which the demineralized water comes out of the cell and from which at least Two ducts (110, 120): - a first duct (110) flows into a second treatment tank (200) comprising a saturation reagent (R) with which the water comes into contact for remineralization and / or pH correction purposes, the water being asf treated evacuated to a third duct (210), - a second conduit (120) lets water circulate directly from the first tank (100) and joins the treated water from the second tank (200) for mixing purposes. 3. Device (D ') that allows the procedure according to claim 1 to be implemented, characterized in that it comprises a first dispensing tank (100') to which the demineralized water comes out of the cell and from which three ducts leave (110 ', 120', 130 '): - two ducts (110 'and 120') each flow into a different treatment tank (200a 'and 200b') comprising a saturation reagent (R1, and R2) with which the water comes into contact, the water being treated treated evacuated to a room (210a ') and a fifth duct (210b'), - a third conduit (130 ') lets water circulate directly out of the first tank (100') and joins the treated water leaving the two treatment tanks (200a ', 200b') inside a mixing tank (300 ' ) for mixing purposes. 4. Device (D4) which allows the method according to claim 1 to be implemented, characterized in that it comprises a division of the demineralized water outlet duct from the fuel cell (P) into two ducts (114 and 124 ) one of which flows into a treatment tank (200), the treated water line leaving (210) of said tank reaching the untreated water line (124) for mixing purposes. 5. Device (D ') according to claim 3, characterized in that a first treatment tank (200a') comprises a saturation reagent (R1) which ensures remineralization and the second treatment tank (200b ') comprises a saturation reagent (R2) that ensures the pH correction. 6. Device (D, D ', D3, D4) according to any of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that one or more ducts are equipped with a flow regulation module (500, 500'). 7. Device (D, D ', D3, D4) according to any of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that one or more ducts are equipped with a filtration module (400, 400'). Device (D, D ', D3, D4) according to any of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the saturation reagent for remineralization and / or for pH correction contains the following elements associated or not : - calcium carbonate, - calcium hydroxide, - bicarbonates, - carbonates, - sulfuric acid, - ion exchange resin, - mineral absorbers, - sodium chloride, - calcium chloride. 9. Device (D, D ', D3, D4) according to any of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that it comprises means for measuring mineralization and pH at the output of the device that communicate the data to a machine Automatic control of flow regulation module (s). 10. Device (D, D ', D3, D4) according to any of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that the treatment tanks (200, 200a', 200b ') are separable and interchangeable. 11. Device (D, D ', D3, D4) according to any of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that it comprises at least one flow meter (600) that allows measuring the water flow rate before or after the mixture and at least one metering pump (700) positioned at the outlet of the treatment tank in order to dose the amount of treated water intended to be mixed with untreated water. 12. Device (D, D 'D3. D4) according to any of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that it comprises a disinfection module (800) of the water after the final mixture. 5